


covered in the colors

by sodun



Series: rarl oneshots [9]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: 7x01 mentioned, 8x08 mentioned, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Divergence, Flashbacks, M/M, Soulmates, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 14:08:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12936915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodun/pseuds/sodun
Summary: Ron retracts his hand from Carl’s shoulder almost immediately after resting it there. Shades of black, white and everything in between explode into hues. Something light covers Carl’s torso, a color like the feeling of content. Black hair lightens, becomes richer, less harsh; Judith’s light grey locks become vibrant streaks of what Ron can only think of as happiness.





	covered in the colors

**Author's Note:**

> potential midseason finale spoilers ?? idk 
> 
> title is from colors - halsey
> 
> also, this is probably the last rarl fic ill post. thank you to anyone whose ever read something of mine before & to those of you who have left comments, they really mean a lot to me. <3
> 
> (also pretty sure i use both grey and gray in this im an indecisive canadian sorry)

_“Carl, she’s fine,” Ron muttered, trying to get his friend to leave his younger sister alone, “Carol knows what she’s doing.”_

_“Yeah, I just.. It’s weird to leave her,” Carl sighs, brushing a hand through the baby’s thin hair._

_Ron takes a step closer to Carl. “I know, but-”_

_Ron retracts his hand from Carl’s shoulder almost immediately after resting it there. Shades of black, white and everything in between explode into hues. Something light covers Carl’s torso, a color like the feeling of content. Black hair lightens, becomes richer, less harsh; Judith’s light gray locks become vibrant streaks of what Ron can only think of as happiness._

_“Shit,” Carl mutters, wide eyes fixed on Judith’s dress, on the wash of a pretty, light color that covers it._

_“I- you see it to?” Ron asks._

_When Carl turns to look at him, Ron notices that his eyes are a stronger version of the hue on his shirt._

_“Does- Does this mean..?” Carl says quietly, voice small as he stares into Ron’s eyes._

_“I think so,” Ron mutters, wondering what his own colors look like._

_Carol steps into the room, startling the boys out of their shocked stupor. They both look at the woman, who crosses the room and picks up Judith._

_“What’s up with you two? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” She asks, eyes flickering between the pair. Ron notices that her hair is still the same shade of grey, if not a little brighter._

_Carl looks over to Ron, then back to Carol, opening his mouth to speak but closing it shortly afterwards. “The colors,” he eventually says, voice uncertain and a little bit afraid._

_“Oh,” Carol responds, a hint of excitement in her voice. “Just now?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Well, come sit down,” Carol says, heading into the kitchen, “I’ll teach you about them.”_

 

“Where the hell were you?” Carl asks Michonne as she reenters the safe zone. Rosita had returned a few hours ago, and of course Carl gave her an earful for leaving, but Michonne is the closest thing Carl has to a mom. He’s downright furious that she went out while still so injured.

“I wanted to see the Sanctuary,” Michonne says, wrapping her arms around Carl.

Carl steps back, glaring at her. “You could’ve _died_. How could you do something so stupid? You know my dad has it under control.”

The woman sighs quietly. “I know. I wanted to see it for myself. I know you hate sitting back and doing nothing just as much as I do.”

“Yeah, but-“

“The hell is with this family and sneaking off to do dumb shit?” Ron asks, walking up behind Carl. “You all have death wishes or something?”

Carl can’t help but crack a small smile when he turns to look at Ron. He’s got one dark blonde eyebrow raised, looking back and forth between his soulmate and Michonne.

“I’m back now, and I’m fine,” Michonne says slowly, “we should be worried about Daryl.”

“Why?” Carl asks quickly, exchanging a worried glance with Ron.

Michonne looks up to the sky, taking in a deep breath. “He decided to crash a van into the sanctuary. He’s hoping the walkers will get inside and kill the saviours.”

At that moment, the colors surrounding Ron flicker, just for a second. Everything goes dull, back to shades of grey, then returns to saturated hues. It startles him, making him take an abrupt step back and blink rapidly.

“Are you alright?” Carl asks, immediately next to Ron again, one hand on the center of his upper back.

“..Yeah,” Ron says slowly, “Just got dizzy for a second there.”

“Do you need to sit down?” Carl gently rubs Ron’s back through his shirt, eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern.

Ron shakes his head, placing a quick kiss on his soulmate’s cheek. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.. Did Daryl get out of the van?”

Ron is not fine. A feeling of uncertainty settles over him, fear nestling in the back of his brain. 

The colors have never flickered before.

 

_“This is so beautiful,” Carl whispers, almost tranquilized by the glow of the rising sun._

_Ron hums in agreement, eyes scanning over the streaks of color that reach across the sky, grabbing on to the last remnants of the night._

_Their feet swing over the edge of the rooftop, heels occasionally bumping each other. As the sun continues to rise higher into the sky, Ron finds himself staring at the boy beside him._

_Bright red is reflected in his blue eyes, giving life to the fire that always burns inside of him. Carl is glowing, pale orange radiating from his skin. The sunrise reveals highlights in the chocolate locks that rest on his soulmate’s shoulders that Ron had never noticed before, sections of tree bark brown mixed in with chunks the color of black coffee._

_Carl glances at Ron out of the corner of his eye, realizing that he’s staring._

_“What?” Carl asks, eyes turning back to the sky._

_“You’re prettier than the sunrise,” Ron says with certainty, despite the sheepish smile that tugs at his lips when Carl turns his attention away from the emerging sun._

_A faint wash of pink has settled over Carl’s face. “Shut up,” He says with an airy laugh._

_“I’m serious,” Ron chuckles, wrapping an arm around Carl’s shoulders._

_Carl just smiles, holding eye contact with Ron until his ocean eyes drop down to Ron’s lips._

_Next thing Ron knows, Carl is leaning in, eyes falling closed. When their lips meet, it’s gentle, but yellow explodes inside of him. A shiver runs down his spine as Carl’s hand comes up to rest on Ron’s cheek, timid and feather light against his heated skin._

_The kiss is short and sweet, the first one Ron’s felt since he was in middle school. It feels far better than he ever remembered, though he suspects that's because it’s with Carl. His heart races, the tips of his fingers tingling from the passion racing through him._

_Carl’s eyes flutter open, blue irises swallowed by his dilated pupils. A wide smile plays on his lips, and his fingers are still against Ron’s cheek._

_Carl leans his cheek on Ron’s shoulder, focusing his attention back on the sunrise. The flaming hues are beginning to lighten, the outer edges of the sun’s glow fading into a yellowish blue. Ron’s heart is still beating too fast, but he doesn’t mind. Everything feels perfect._

 

As night begins to fall, the Virginia sun setting and casting an orange glow over Alexandria, Ron’s colors flicker again.

This time, the world takes a couple of seconds to go back to normal. The longer it takes for the grass to become green again, the more everything around Ron seems to freeze.

The only time a person loses their ability to see color is if their soulmate dies. Ron isn’t sure what it means if they flicker, but it can’t be anything good. 

Ron decides to check in on Carl, who’s visiting Judith.

“Carl?” Ron says as he approaches the boy from behind the couch. Carl’s sitting with Judith on his knee, bouncing her slightly.

“Hey,” Carl greets as Ron rounds the couch, sitting next to him.

Judith stares at him, and Ron offers her a small wave. “Are you okay?”

Carl begins to adjust Judith’s top, not meeting Ron’s eyes, not even turning to face him. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

Ron leans back against the couch, tipping his head to look at the ceiling. “I just.. I have a bad feeling, I don’t know.”

“I’m fine,” Carl says softly, resting a hand on Ron’s knee.

Ron doesn’t say anything. He can’t tell if Carl is lying, or something is wrong and he just doesn’t know it yet.. or maybe it’s nothing. Maybe Ron is the one who isn’t okay.

“Will you promise me something?”

Carl finally turns, meeting Ron’s worried gaze. “Sure.”

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. You won’t put yourself in danger.. Please,” Ron says quietly.

Something burns in Carl’s eyes, something like guilt or regret. 

“I promise,” Carl says, smiling shyly at Ron. 

The ache in Ron’s chest doesn’t cease.

 

_“Blue is my favorite color,” Ron says into Carl’s hair, tightening the arm he has wrapped around the boy’s shoulders._

_“Why?” Carl asks, leaning further into Ron and pulling the blanket that’s draped over them up higher._

_Smiling softly, Ron begins to play with Carl’s hair. “Your eyes are blue.”_

_Car feels his cheeks start to heat up and is thankful he’s turned away from Ron. “I like your eyes too. They’re a nice green.”_

_Carl closes his eyes as Ron flits his fingers through his hair, along his scalp. A hum of approval resonates from deep within the boy’s chest._

_“I’m glad it was you,” Carl mumbles, and though it’s a vague statement, Ron knows what he’s saying._

_“When I was younger I hoped Winona Ryder would be my soulmate,” Ron says with a chuckle, “and then the world ended and I was like ‘fuck, how am I supposed to meet her and find out if she’s my soulmate now?’”_

_“You’re so weird,” Carl cuts in, shaking his head gently._

_“I know. I kind of gave up on the idea of a soulmate because like, I never met anyone who compared to Winona Ryder, but honestly, I think you’re better than Winona Ryder.”_

_Carl snorts, glancing up at Ron. “Yeah, her voice is kind of annoying.”_

_Fixing his eyes into a playful glare, Ron scoffs. “You know what, I take it back.”_

_Carl laughs softly, the sweetest sound Ron’s ever heard. “Maybe you only like me cause I have the same hair as her.”_

_Biting his lip to stop a smile, Ron puts his hands up in surrender. “You got me.”_

_Carl laughs again as he settles back down against Ron’s chest. There’s a moment of content silence, interrupted only by distant talking from somewhere outside._

_“You know,” Carl says eventually, breaking the quiet, “I think I really do love you. I used to hear stories about people meeting their soulmate and hating them, or just not really feeling it, and I was scared that’d happen to me, but.. I love you.”_

_Those words ring in Ron’s ears, filling him with blue, the color he now associates with happiness, with love._

_“I love you too,” Ron says, kissing the top of Carl’s head._

 

“They got out,” Michonne whispers, eyes shining with fearful tears. 

“Fuck,” Ron mutters, turning to look at Carl with wide eyes, “what the hell do we do?”

Panicked blue eyes flash between the gate, which is the only thing keeping the saviors outside, Ron, and Michonne. 

“I don’t-” Carl begins, cutting himself and closing his eyes for a moment. When they open again, there’s a sureness there that startles Ron, one that he hasn’t seen anyone carry when dealing with Negan and his army. “We just have to survive tonight.”

Swallowing hard, Ron watches the gate in anticipation. How the hell are they supposed to survive with the saviors threatening to throw grenades if they aren’t let in?

“Michonne, get everyone who can’t fight into basements,” Carl commands, “and that includes you. Ron, we need to round up everyone else and get all the weapons we have.”

Michonne stays still, the terror over what’s to come written clearly on her face. 

“ _Now_ , we don’t have a lot of time,” Carl says forcefully, looking back to the gate once again.

Michonne abruptly pulls him into a hug, one hand grabbing a fistful of his hair. “Be safe, Carl, please be safe,” She whispers as she pulls back.

“I will,” Carl says, stepping back and grabbing his soulmate’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Ron lets himself be tugged away as Michonne heads toward the houses.

 

_Red tints Ron’s vision as he pulls Carl up from the ground. All he can see is red, even though he makes sure he keeps his eyes away from the messes on the ground. The blood, the brain matter, the pieces of bone.. The people he knew, the people he loved._

_Ron tugs the belt off Carl’s arm, gently massaging his soulmate’s purpling fingers. Carl looks at him with empty eyes. The shock appears to have finally set in._

_Wordlessly, Carl shakes his arm out, eyeing up the black line that runs across his forearm. People are moving the bodies now, laying them out on trucks that Negan has left for them. Maggie is still on her knees, breaths heaving from her chest and tears running down her cheeks._

_Carl begins to head in her direction, grabbing her shoulders gently. Ron watches as he guides her up and she wraps her arms around him, hugging him tight, crying onto his shoulder. Carl whispers something to her, and she backs up._

_“We need to get ready,” she says, her whole body trembling as she stands on her own, staring at the ground._

_“For what?” Carl asks gently, his voice shaking just a bit._

_“To fight them,” Maggie chokes out._

_Sasha steps in, telling Maggie she’s going to get her to the hilltop. Carl heads back to the RV, leaving the rest of the group, or what’s left of it._

_Ron follows him, finds him sitting on a chair in the back of the RV. His shoulders are slouched, dark hair hanging in front of his face. Shaking hands press into his knees, likely the only thing stopping him from collapsing forward._

_“What the fuck just happened?” Carl breathes, adjusting his position so his forehead is cradled in his palms, elbows digging into his thighs._

_Ron swallows hard. “I don’t..” he isn’t sure what to say, because how do you talk about someone murdering your soulmate’s family, almost killing his dad, and then nearly making his own dad chop his arm off?_

_Ron sees Carl’s shoulders begin to rising and fall before he hears him start to cry. Placing a hand on the middle of his back, Ron slides an arm against his chest and pulls him back. Immediately, Carl latches on to him, wraps his arms around Ron’s neck and sobs against his shirt._

_“I’m sorry, Carl,” Ron whispers, glancing over to the door as everyone else begins to pile onto the RV, save for Maggie and Sasha. Rick looks like he wants to come closer, maybe try to comfort his son, but ultimately decides against it, sliding into the driver's seat. Michonne watches Ron pull Carl closer, holding him as tight as he can._

_“I’ve got you,” Ron tells the boy, cradling the back of his head with one hand. “I’ve got you.”_

Ron is lying on top of a house, shooting passing saviors with a rifle of some kind, when the colors disappear again.

This time, they keep coming and going. It’s like someone’s flicking a switch in his brain on and off, the darkened city switching between flame-tinted hues and shades of grey.

Ron immediately pushes himself up, not worried about being seen. Something is _very_ wrong. He slides off the rooftop at the back of the house and begins to run through the streets. Using a pistol that he kept in a holster on his pants to defend himself, Ron searches desperately for his soulmate. The longer he searches, the longer the colors take to come back.

By the time Ron finds Carl, tears are falling freely from his eyes. He’s sitting against a tree towards the back of the safe zone, well concealed from the fight taking place in the streets. Carl’s whole body is shaking, eyes closed, a layer of sweat covering his skin, which looks far paler than it should.

“Carl,” Ron gasps as he drops down next to him on the ground. “What- Carl, what’s going on?!”

Carl’s head slowly lolls in Ron’s direction, eyes peeling open. His pupils are dilated, the whites of his eyes tinted pink. “I’m sorry,” Carl breathes, eyes slowly closing again. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Ron asks frantically, one hand on either side of Carl’s head.

Wordlessly, Carl grabs the hem of his shirt, tugging it up just beyond his ribcage. Swollen, purple wounds mar the side of his lower abdomen. It takes a few seconds for Ron to realize it’s a bite.

“No,” Ron chokes out, eyes flickering between the bite and Carl’s eyes. “No, this isn’t-”

“I love you,” Carl wheezes, eyes falling closed once more as he drops his shirt. The colors haven’t flickered again, but they’re dull, just a few shades away from grey. 

Carl reaches into his pocket, pulling out his knife. Grabbing one of Ron’s wrists between shaking fingers, he places the knife in his palm, doing his best to close Ron’s fingers around the handle with the little strength he has left. “I love you so much,” he chokes out, “thank you for-for us.”

“I can’t,” Ron shakes his head, looking down at the blade as he shifts his other hand to support Carl’s head from the back. “I- No, Carl, this can’t be-”

“It is,” Carl whispers, “This is it. It has to be- has to be you. Please,” he’s looking at Ron through half-lidded eyes, the rise and fall of his chest becoming more sudden.

“I love you,” Ron forces out through tears, pressing his forehead against Carl’s. 

Carl’s eyes fall closed, short, raspy breaths puffing out of his lips. “I love you. Tell- Michonne and my dad- tell them.. Tell them I love them. Ron, I love you.. I’m so- I’m so glad it was you,” Carl forces out.

Carl breathes in once more before his body goes slack and still against the bark of the tree. Ron’s vision fades to grey, and this time, the hues don’t come back.

“I love you,” Ron sobs, still holding the back of Carl’s head with his free hand. 

Ron’s hand shakes as he swiftly plunges the knife into Carl’s temple, wincing at the sound of it slicing through his brain. Once he pulls the blade out, he drops it to the ground, wrapping his arms around Carl’s shoulders. His soulmate’s lifeless head falls against neck, and he cries, tears soaking into Carl’s shirt. 

Ron stays there, holding on to Carl long after his tears have stopped and the gunfire has settled. When the sun begins to rise, Ron watches the sky transform into shades of grey, longing for the vibrant oranges and reds to come back, for the color blue that they’d eventually fade in to. 

Longing to see the hue of Carl’s eyes once more.


End file.
